Do Cars With a Manual Transmission Get Stolen Less?

The choice of whether to get an automatic or manual transmissions will vary largely based on your own needs. Do you know how to drive a stick shift, or do you find automatic transmissions more comfortable? How concerned are you about fuel efficiency?

These are just a few of the determining factors, but today we want to discuss one that may not be readily apparent: do cars with a manual transmission get stolen less often than cars with an automatic transmission?

Do Cars With Manual Transmissions Get Stolen Less?

Unfortunately, we don’t have solid data to answer the question. This is for two reasons: one, only 4% of cars sold in the US, which makes it hard to get a big enough sample size. Two, insurance companies don’t distinguish between manual and automatic transmissions when providing statistics about car theft.

That said, every year, there are stories on the news about cars with manual transmissions getting stolen less often. Take this one, which is about four different car thieves who were unable to steal a vehicle because of its manual transmission.

While we don’t know the exact numbers, we do know that manual transmissions have deterred thieves in the past.

Why Cars With Manual Transmissions May Get Stolen Less Often

There isn’t much data on why cars with manual transmissions would get stolen less often. After all, it’s impossible to interview thieves and ask them why they chose to avoid stealing a specific vehicle.

However, it makes sense when we consider a simple fact: in the 80’s, one in three cars being manufactured still had a manual transmission. By the 90’s, that number dropped precipitously, such that only 7% of all vehicles manufactured had a manual transmission.

To put it simply, a large number of people born in the past three decades likely haven’t driven with a manual transmission. Even if they have, a car thief needs to be fast in order to avoid getting caught. If they find driving a vehicle with a manual transmission more difficult — even if it just takes them a minute or two to get used to it — they’re less likely to steal the vehicle.

What Else Can You Do To Prevent Auto Theft?

Of course, it’s not enough to have a manual transmission. There’s a variety of different anti-theft devices available for vehicles today. If your car is stolen more often than other vehicles on the road — or if you’re simply in an area where vehicle theft is more common — you’ll want to use some of that technology to your advantage.

Fort Lauderdale Transmission Experts – Jet Auto Transmissions

Are you looking for help with your transmission? At Jet Auto Transmissions, we work on a variety of different vehicle transmissions. This is one of the most difficult parts of a vehicle to repair or replace, which is why you need to come to the experts.

We’ve been helping Fort Lauderdale residents with all of their transmission needs for more than 30 years. If you have any questions about our services or you’re ready to get transmission repair, you can call us at (954) 581-0390.